ments, to turn away difappointed; and that while we waited for dinner, they cast their eyes firft upon me, and then upon each other, like a theatrical affembly waiting for a fhew. From the uneafinefs of this fituation, I was relieved by the dinner; and as every attention was taken up by the bufinefs of the hour, I funk quietly to a level with the reft of the company. But no fooner were the dishes removed, than, instead of cheerful confidence and familiar prattle, an univerfal filence again fhewed their expectation of fome unusual performance. My friend endeavoured to rouse them by healths and queftions, but they anfwered him with great brevity, and immediately relapfed into their former taciturnity. I had waited in hope of fome opportunity to divert them, but could find no pafs opened for a fingle fally; and who can be merry without an object of mirth? After a few faint efforts, which produced neither applaufe nor oppofition, I was content to mingle with the mass, to put round the glass in filence, and folace myself with my own contemplations. My friend looked round him; the guests ftared at one another; and if now and then a few fyllables were uttered with timidity and hefitation, there was none ready to make any reply. All our faculties were frozen, and every minute took away from our capacity of pleasing, and difpofition to be pleased. Thus paffed the hours to which fo much happiness was decreed; the hours which had, by a kind of open proclamation, been devoted to wit, to mirth, and to Hilarius. At laft the night came on, and the neceffity of parting freed us from the perfecutions of each other. I heard them, as they walked along the court, murmuring at the lofs of the day, and enquiring whether any man would pay a a fecond vifit to a house haunted by a wit. Demochares, whofe benevolence is greater than his penetration, having flattered his hopes with the fecondary honour which he was to gain by my sprightlinefs and elegance, and the affection with which he should be followed for a perpetual banquet of gaiety, was not able to conceal his vexation and refentment, nor would easily be convinced, that I had not facrificed his interest to fullennefs and caprice, and ftudiously endeavoured to disgust his guests, and suppressed my powers of delighting, in obftinate and premeditated filence. I am informed that the reproach of their ill reception is divided by the gentlemen of the country between us; fome being of opinion, that my friend is deluded by an impoftor, who, though he has found fome art of gaining his favour, is afraid to speak before men of more penetration; and others concluding, that I think only London the proper theatre of my abilities, and difdain to exert my genius for the praise of rufticks. I believe, Mr. RAMBLER, that it has fometimes happened to others, who have the good or ill fortune to be celebrated for wits, to fall under the fame cenfures upon the like occafions. I hope therefore that you will prevent any mifreprefentations of fuch failures, by remarking that invention is not wholly at the command of its poffeffor; that the power of pleafing is very often obftructed by the defire; that all expectation pectation leffens furprize, yet fome furprize is neceffary to gaiety; and that those who defire to partake of the pleasure of wit muft contribute to its production, fince the mind ftagnates without external ventilation, and that effervefcence of the fancy, which flashes into transport, can be raised only by the infufion of diffimilar ideas. NUMB. 102. SATURDAY, March 9, 1751. Ipfa quoque affiduo labuntur tempora motu Non fecus ac flumen: neque enim confiftere flumen, With conftant motion as the moments glide, L OVID. ELPHINSTON. IFE," fays Seneca, "is a voyage, in the progrefs of which we are perpetually changing "our scenes: we firft leave childhood behind us, "then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, "then the better and more pleafing part of old age.' The perufal of this paffage having incited in me a train of reflections on the state of man, the inceffant Aluctuation of his wifhes, the gradual change of his O 2 difpo difpofition to all external objects, and the thoughtleffness with which he floats along the stream of time, I funk into a flumber amidst 'my meditations, and, on a fudden, found my ears filled with the tumult of labour, the shouts of alacrity, the fhrieks of alarm, the whiftle of winds, and the dafh of waters. My aftonishment for a time repreffed my curiofity; but foon recovering myself fo far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the cause of fuch clamour and confufion, I was told that they were launching out into the ocean of life; that we had already paffed the ftreights of infancy, in which multitudes had perished, fome by the weakness and fragility of their veffels, and more by the folly, perverfenefs, or negligence, of those who undertook to fteer them; and that we were now on the main sea, abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of fecurity than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to choose among great numbers that offered their direction and assist ance. I then looked round with anxious eagernefs; and firft turning my eyes behind me, faw a ftream flowing through flowery islands, which every one that failed along feemed to behold with pleature; but no fooner touched, than the current, which, though not noify or turbulent, was yet irrefiftible, bore him away. Beyond thefe iflands all was darkness, nor could any of the paffengers describe the fhore at which he first embarked. Before me, and each other fide, was an expanse of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mift, that the moft perfpicacious eye could fee but a little a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools, for many funk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full fails, and infulting those whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the dark nefs,. that no caution could confer fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, 'betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pushed thofe whom they found in their way against the rocks. The current was invariable and infurmountable; but though it was impoffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was not fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fince, though none could retreat. back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction. It was, however, not very common to steer with much care or prudence; for by fome univerfal infatuation, every man appeared to think himself fafe,. though he faw his conforts every moment finking round him; and no fooner had the waves closed over them, than their fate and their misconduct were forgotten; the voyage was purfued with the fame jocund confidence; every man congratulated himself upon the foundness of his veffel, and believed himself able to ftem the whirlpool in which his friend was fwallowed, or glide over the rocks on which he was dafhed: nor was it often obferved that the fight of a wreck made any man change his course: if he turned afide for a moment, he foon forgot the rudder, and left himself again to the difpofal of chance. |